TABLE 5.

Plants proposed for the hypo-allergenic area and their features.

Species	Allergenic potential	Therapeutic effects	Decorative elements	Tactile experience	Plant type/growth habit/decorative period
Ilex aquifolium	Low (female cultivar- does not produce pollen)	Calming effects, has evergreen foliage that can create a sense of stability and continuity; attracts birds with their berries (Obeso, 1998)	Glossy, dark green leaves; bright red berries that add color during autumn and winter	Glossy, stiff leaves with spiny edges	Perennial/shrub/year-round
Ferns	Low, they do not produce pollen	Stress reduction, connection to nature due to its texture; air purification (Mannan et al., 2008; Lee and Shin, 2010)	Delicate, feathery foliage in various nuances of green	Soft, feathery, finely textured fronds offer a delicate tactile experience	Perennial/herbaceous/ spring to autumn
Nandina domestica	Low, produces minimal pollen, it’s not known to cause significant allergy issues	Creates a relaxing environment through visually appealing foliage and wildlife attraction; can attract butterflies and birds	Colorful, lacy foliage that changes color throughout the seasons; produces clusters of white flowers in spring and red berries in autumn	Lacy, compound leaves with slender, smooth leaflets	Perennial/shrub/year-round foliage, white flowers in spring, red berries in autumn
Skimmia japonica	Low, female cultivars do not produce pollen	Relaxing effects due to the evergreen foliage, evokes the idea of continuity; wildlife attraction; attracts bees and butterflies (Brndevska and Rizovska Atanasovska, 2012)	Glossy, dark green leaves provide year-round interest; fragrant pale pink flowers in spring and colorful berries in autumn	Smooth, glossy leaves; smooth textured small flowers	Perennial/shrub/year-round foliage, flowers in spring, colorful berries in autumn
Hosta sp.	Low, produces minimal pollen, is not known to cause allergy issues	Creates a relaxing atmosphere in shading areas due to the bold, visually appealing foliage; attractive to bees and other pollinators (Suzuki et al., 2002)	Large, bold leaves in various nuances of green; spikes of trumpet-shaped flowers	Diverse textured, smooth, veined foliage with slightly wavy or ruffled margins	Perennial/herbaceous/ foliage -spring to autumn, flowers in summer
Weigela florida	Low, produces minimal pollen	Suggests calmness and relaxation due to the flexed branches abundant in flowers; attractive to butterflies and bees (Stawiarz and Wróblewska, 2016)	Arching branches with abundant trumpet-shaped flowers	Smooth leaves; delicate flowers	Perennial/shrub/spring to early summer flowering and foliage until autumn
Heuchera sp.	Low, produces minimal pollen	Raises interest and creates a relaxing environment due to diverse foliage colors; attracts pollinators (Andrukh, 2017)	Colorful foliage in shade of green, purple, bronze, silver; delicate bell-shaped flowers	Diverse textures from smooth, slightly ruffled, or veined leaves; delicate small flowers	Perennial/herbaceous/spring to autumn foliage, spring to summer flowers